Brown spokesman Evan Westrup confirmed Monday that the couple is renting a 1,450-square foot loft in a part of the city known for its nightlife. The one-bedroom space is in a converted automobile dealership.

Brown famously lived in a sparsely furnished apartment instead of the governor’s mansion when he was governor from 1975 to 1983.

Westrup says Brown and his wife, Anne Gust Brown, plan to “furnish the place with more than a mattress on the floor.”

According to the building’s website, rent starts at $1,700 a month. The Browns plan to keep their $1.8 million home in the Oakland Hills.

Sounds like our Governor-elect plans to do a lot of work if he’s living that close to his office… Assuming he pays the rent out of his own pocket, I don’t see what the big deal is. It would be interesting to know the reasons WHY he’s choosing to though. I’m surprised it’s not stated in the press release.